Requiem
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: The free spirit, or the devoted protector. Juliet is forced to make a choice under the worst possible circumstances, and the consequences will be devastating.
1. Chapter 1

I probably shouldn't be doing this, but oh well. The story is about two chapters from being complete, which is a MAJOR feat for me. Usually I post as soon as I start. I managed to keep a lid on this for almost a month! *is proud* LOL. Now, this first chapter is very, VERY short, but for a good reason. The rest of the chapters will be huge. :) And I'm kind of excited to see what kind of response I get for this first chapter. Enough of my rambling. Enjoy the first chapter of Requiem!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

The very first thing that registered in his foggy mind was the pain.

It was intense, and every part of his body screamed in agony. For a moment, he prayed for the blessed darkness to overtake his senses again. But it didn't, and finally he found the strength to open his eyes.

At first, all he could see was darkness, and for one terrified moment he was convinced that he was blind. Then he realized that there was a blindfold tied painfully tight around his head. He tried to move and was rewarded with a searing pain in his side. He groaned, his body shuddering. What the hell was going on?

There was the sound of footfall, then a door opened. He went stiff.

A deep voice bounced against the walls of the room.

"You're awake. Now the fun can really begin," the voice said.

He started to panic, and a low, guttural sound escaped as the hard steel of a knife ripped at his flesh.

As he felt the blood, hot and thick, roll down his skin and drip onto the floor, another groan bubbled up in his throat.

There was no way he was going to survive this.

TBC...

A/N: Now, I'm not going to say who is being tortured. So sound off in your reviews about who you think it is (hint, it is one of the men on the show. I won't say whether it's a main character or recurring character. Mwhahaha.) Thanks for reading! Sound off!


	2. If It Looks Like

You guys are awesome! I'm pretty darn excited about this story. But that could be bad news for our boys... mwhahaha. Enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Juliet O'Hara sighed as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. It seemed that some criminals were determined not to let her get a full night of sleep.

Ahead of her, lights flashed, people shouted, and crime scene tape was everywhere.

She flashed her badge. "Detective O'Hara. What do we have?"

"O'Hara!"

At the familiar voice, Juliet turned her head and saw her partner, Carlton Lassiter, coming toward her. For the longest time, she hadn't known what to make of the headstrong, angry senior detective. After transferring from Miami to Santa Barbara, all she knew about her new partner was that he had slept with his previous partner, resulting in her transfer. When they met, he barely spoke to her.

He was cold, but in the following months, she began to chip away at his tough outer shell. Now, some five years later, she was closer to him than she had been to any of her former partners.

Lassiter stopped in front of her, his ever present scowl visible. "This guy is a real whack job." He led her beyond the crime scene tape, to the body that was being photographed.

Not for the first time, Juliet was thankful she hadn't eaten. The body was of a young man, late twenties to early thirties. His mouth was open in a silent scream, and his blue eyes were wide and frozen in terror. Juliet rubbed a hand roughly over her face.

Lassiter came up behind her. "No ID, no visible scars or tattoos." He pointed to the wound in the victim's abdomen. "Single gunshot wound. He bled out."

Juliet looked around the boardwalk. The waves crashing against the shore could have been loud enough to drown out the victim's pleas for help. She moved closer to the victim.

Lassiter watched her intently as he continued with his report. "So far, we haven't been able to locate any witnesses."

She nodded, crouching down beside the body. But something was troubling her about this body.

Lassiter came up behind Juliet, watching his partner intently. "What is it, O'Hara?"

The eyes, the mouth... Her gaze drifted down to the victim's neck, and she couldn't contain a gasp when she saw a familiar seashell necklace. She suddenly shot to her feet.

Lassiter stared at his partner, confused. "O'Hara?"

Her shoulders trembled, and she couldn't pull her gaze away from the victim.

"Damn it, O'Hara, what's wrong?"

"He... he looks like... Shawn," she finally managed.

Lassiter stared at her, then the dead man in front of them. On a closer inspection, he did bear a striking resemblance to the annoying psychic, including the seashell necklace he always wore.

Taking a step backward, Juliet looked at Lassiter. "I... I need to take care of something. I'll be right back."

Before he could argue, she slipped back under the crime scene tape and hurried away.

Confused and annoyed, Lassiter watched his partner's retreating form. Then he resumed his inspection of the body in front of him.

Once she was a safe distance from the scene and well out of earshot, Juliet pulled her cell phone out. It was almost two in the morning, but her stomach was in knots. She had to know that Shawn was safe. So she dialed his number and waited impatiently for him to answer.

Shawn groaned as his cell phone lit up on his nightstand, and his favorite ringtone began to play. Who was calling him at this hour?

For moment, he considered rolling over and hiding his head under the pillow. But it was possible the chief was calling with a new case, so he reluctantly picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello..."

At the sound of Shawn's sleep-filled voice, Juliet felt a strange rush of relief, amusement, and some guilt. "Hey, Shawn..."

Immediately Shawn sat up in his bed, wide awake. "Jules? What's going on? Is there a case?"

She shook her head. "No, no. I just..."

His brow furrowed. "You just what?"

"I just had to hear your voice," she concluded lamely.

"Jules, what's wrong?" Shawn asked gently. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I woke you up."

He had to smile. "I could never be mad at you, Jules. Let me know if I can do anything to help."

"I will, Shawn. Go back to sleep." She started to say something else, but quickly decided against it. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, Jules."

She hung up the phone and slipped it back into her pocket, deeply relieved and feeling a little silly. The victim looked like Shawn, but it wasn't Shawn. Shawn was fine. He was safe at home in his bed.

Shawn stared at the phone in his hand. Something was wrong with Juliet. He could hear it in her voice. Whatever it was, it had shaken her so badly that she felt the need to call him.

Finally making a decision, he slid out of bed and grabbed his jeans.

After taking a minute to compose herself, Juliet went back to the scene.

As she approached, Lassiter looked her over. "You okay, O'Hara?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks."

He watched her, not completely certain that she was being honest with him. But he let it drop, and they resumed going over the crime scene in front of them.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

When they finally returned to the precinct, Juliet felt much calmer. Or as calm as she could be while investigating a brutal murder. She followed Lassiter to their desks, but she frowned when she realized that someone was sitting in her seat.

At their approach, Shawn spun around in her chair and grinned. "Hey, Jules."

Her frown melted immediately. "Shawn... What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging out." He stood up, producing a delicious smelling bag. "I assume you haven't eaten breakfast?"

She took the bag. "Thank you, Shawn."

As she took the bag, their fingers brushed together, and both felt the electricity shoot through them.

Lassiter glared at the psychic. "Get lost, Spencer."

Shawn finally shook himself out of his reverie. "No way, Lassie-face. The Chief just brought me in on the case." He grinned triumphantly.

For some reason, Juliet felt a slight twinge, and she wasn't certain that she wanted Shawn anywhere near this case. Why, she didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that the victim resembled Shawn so much. Or maybe it was all in her head. Either way, she did not like the idea of Shawn being involved in this case in any aspect.

Lassiter grunted, annoyed. "Just stay out of my way, Spencer." He stalked away.

Shawn shrugged. "Looks like Lassie didn't get enough coffee this morning."

Juliet smiled as she opened the bag and sat down in her chair. Lassiter had never been fond of the psychic. But then again, not many people managed to earn Lassiter's affections. Sometimes she wasn't certain she had even managed it.

Shawn perched himself on the corner of Juliet's desk and grabbed a donut from her bag. "So..." He took a bite of the donut.

Juliet raised a light eyebrow. "What, Shawn?"

He opened his mouth to ask why she had called him at two this morning, but at the last possible moment, he chickened out.

"Tell me more about our victim."

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Later that afternoon, Juliet and Lassiter were at their desks, still trying to put a name to their John Doe. No witnesses had stepped forward, and Lassiter was becoming frustrated.

Juliet had just poured them fresh coffee when Lassiter let out a triumphant sound. She looked up, raising a light eyebrow. "What is it, Carlton?"

"I have a hit on our John Doe. His name is..." He paused, his brow furrowing.

Juliet moved to his chair. "What's his name?"

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his jaw.

"His name is Shawn Roberts."

Juliet's stomach twisted, and she grabbed the desk to keep her balance. The victim's name was Shawn... She had to fight the overwhelming urge to call Shawn again, to make sure that he was okay. He was fine. She repeated that over and over again in her mind, like a mantra. He was fine.

Lassiter looked at his partner. "O'Hara?"

She shook her head, attempting to shake off her concern. "Nothing. Is there any family to notify?"

Lassiter looked at the screen. "A father." He got to his feet. "Let's get it over with."

Juliet nodded, but her eyes fell on the computer screen, on the victim's face.

Why was this case getting to her?

TBC...

A/N: Why IS the case getting to Juliet? What's with the resemblances? Sound off in your reviews! Thanks for reading!


	3. Keep You

So loving the response I'm getting on this story! And of course loving the direction my muse is taking me with this. If it keeps up, I might have to make a sequel... mwhahaha. The chapters are about to pick up big time, so hold onto your seats and enjoy the next chapter of Requiem!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPscyhPsychPsychPsych

Two weeks later, they were no closer to catching the killer of Shawn Roberts. His father offered no clues as to why his son might have been killed. He had worked in a library, and everyone who knew him loved him. There were no apparent enemies, and he had never been in trouble a day in his life.

The striking resemblance between the victim and Shawn still troubled Juliet, but she managed to keep that to herself.

That Friday, Juliet gathered up her things and turned her computer off. The past two weeks had been troubling, and she was looking forward to Chinese and a hot bubble bath, followed by a movie or a good book in bed. She grabbed her folders.

Lassiter watched his partner from his desk. "Good night, O'Hara." He had considered going home as well, but what was the point? His apartment was empty, and his time would be better served here.

"Night, Carlton. Try not to stay too late."

He snorted. "Right."

She smiled at him, then walked out of the squadroom. As she reached her car, her phone began to ring. She frowned, grabbing it. "Please, don't be another case," she muttered, looking at the screen.

It was a text message from Shawn, and she smiled warmly.

_Come to Psych_.

With a chuckle, she got into the car. What Shawn had up his sleeve, she didn't know. But she was fond of him, and she enjoyed spending time with him outside of the squad whenever she could.

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot in front of the Psych office. The lights were on, and she stayed in the car for a minute before finally getting out and heading to the front door of the Psych office.

Before she could knock, the door opened, and she came face to face with Shawn Spencer.

"Jules! You're here!" He ushered her inside, closing the door behind them.

"What's going on, Shawn?"

He slung an arm around her shoulders. "Movie marathon. Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Mannequin and Heathers."

She looked around, and when she saw Gus, she felt a strange twinge of disappointment. But she quickly brushed it off. "Hey, Gus."

Gus smiled warmly at her in return. "Hi, Juliet. We just ordered dinner."

She looked pleased. "Great. I'm starving."

"Of course you are. You've been working so hard for the past two weeks." Shawn ushered her to his favorite chair. "Sit down."

She complied, amused.

He hurried away, returning with three bottles of strawberry soda. He gave one to Juliet, one to Gus, then sat down and opened his.

With a grin, she opened her soda. "So, what are we watching first?"

"Breakfast Club," Shawn and Gus said simultaneously, and she laughed.

"Great. I love that movie."

"I told you, Gus," Shawn said with a smirk.

"I never argued with you! I know she likes the movie."

Her phone began to ring in her pocket, and Juliet frowned. "No..."

"Don't answer it," Shawn urged, his smile fading.

"I have to. It's Carlton." She got up and walked a few feet away before answering. "O'Hara."

"O'Hara, we have another body."

"Where?"

Curious, Shawn snuck up behind her and listened in.

After finishing the call, Juliet turned around and came face to face with Shawn. She jumped, startled. "Shawn!" Her heart pounded like a drum against her ribs.

He studied her. "What's going on, Jules?"

Juliet rested a hand over her racing heart. "I'm sorry, Shawn, but I have to go. I have a case."

Shawn looked at Gus. "Fine. We'll go with you."

"Shawn, no..."

He waved her off and grabbed his jacket.

Gus got up and joined Shawn, and the two men watched Juliet expectantly.

She sighed. "Fine. Come on." She led them outside, to her car. She slid into the driver's seat, while Shawn got into the passenger's seat and Gus got in back.

On the way to the scene, Juliet was silent and tense. Shawn picked up on that, but he remained quiet as well.

Finally they arrived at the scene, a public park. Lassiter was waiting on Juliet, and he scowled when he saw Spencer and Guster. "What the hell is this?"

Juliet shook her head. "Just ignore them, Carlton. What do we have?"

He glared at Spencer again, then led Juliet to the body. "Male, late thirties to early forties."

She heard the hardened edge in his voice, and she frowned. He was always gruff, but there was something very different tonight.

They stopped beside the body, and Juliet finally understood why he was so upset.

The man on the ground bore a frightening resemblance to Detective Carlton Lassiter.

She jerked her head toward Lassiter, almost as though to make sure he was still standing beside her. His features were filled with anger, and just beyond that, she saw confusion and some fear. What was going on?

Shawn and Gus came up behind them, and as they looked at the body, Shawn whistled lowly. "Anyone else seeing what I'm seeing?"

"I sure am," Gus said quietly. The dead body looked an awful lot like Lassiter.

A CSI was photographing the body, and something caught his eye. Extending a gloved hand, he reached into the man's pocket and withdrew a folded paper.

"What's that?" Lassiter demanded.

The paper had blood on it, but the CSI managed to unfold it without shredding it.

Juliet moved to stand behind the CSI, and her face paled as she read the note.

Lassiter watched his partner impatiently. "What is it, O'Hara?"

She swallowed hard and tried to speak, but no words would come.

Shawn hurried to her side, his kind eyes filled with concern. "Jules...?"

"My, my, my, you certainly have come a long way from Miami, Detective O'Hara. Hundreds of arrests, a 97% conviction rate. Very impressive."

Juliet shuddered as she read the words out loud, and her voice wavered.

"You and I go way back, but we've never actually met. Don't worry, I'll remedy that soon enough. So get some rest. You'll be hearing from me again soon."

"What the hell?" Lassiter exploded. "Who is this son of a bitch, O'Hara?"

"I don't know!" There was no signature, only a heart at the bottom. She didn't need a closer look to tell that it was blood. Probably the blood of the victim in front of her.

Lassiter growled and paced. "He knows you. He knows you were in Miami. You need a protective detail."

Juliet bristled. "No, I don't, Carlton. If anyone needs protective custody, it's you!" She motioned to the body. "There's a good chance that this is a threat against you."

"Like hell it is. I'm not letting anything happen to you, O'Hara. This guy has already killed two people, that we know of."

Shawn stared at the body, struggling to hide his anger and worry. This creep knew way too much about Juliet, and he had murdered two people. What was stopping him from going after her. "Maybe Lassie's right," he said quietly.

Both Juliet and Lassiter looked at the psychic. Lassiter looked somewhat pleased, while Juliet looked confused and angry at his words.

"What?"

Shawn studied Juliet. "This guy has killed two people in two weeks. He could come after you."

"I can protect myself, Shawn!"

"I don't care! For once, I'm with Lassiter. This psycho could kill you!"

With an angry growl, she stormed away from the scene.

As she stalked away, Lassiter looked at Spencer. "I don't like this," he muttered. "Are you getting anything from this body?"

After hesitating, Shawn raised his hands to his head and scanned the body. But there was nothing. "No... There's too much blocking me right now." He groaned and dropped his hands to his sides.

Lassiter huffed. "Damn it." Kneeling beside the body, he tried to find anything. A clue, a mark... anything.

Shawn lingered there for a minute before meeting Gus' eyes. Gus nodded, and Shawn took off in the direction Juliet had gone.

He found her by her car, leaning against it with her eyes closed. "Jules?"

Her eyes shot open. "What, Shawn?"

He came closer. "I'm... I'm sorry. I just..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm worried about you."

Her scowl faded. "I have a gun, Shawn. I can take care of myself."

"I know that." He shrugged helplessly. "But... it's you."

She stared at the psychic, and for the first time, she saw the tears in his eyes. "Shawn..."

Shaking his head, he closed the distance between them and pulled her roughly against his chest.

Instinctively she wrapped her arms around him and settled her head against his shoulder.

He let out a heavy breath as he held her tightly. "I'm scared, Jules. I can't... This guy knows you. He has no remorse, and he's killed before. He could kill you, too." His hand ran over her back. If anything happened to her, he would never be able to live with himself.

Her eyes closed. "Shawn, I'll be fine."

He held her tighter to his chest and rested his cheek against her head. "I can't lose you," he whispered.

His honesty brought tears to her eyes. "Shawn, you won't lose me. You won't." She nestled closer to him.

He wasn't so sure about that.

TBC...

A/N: Aww, the Shules. Happy now, xpsychxssjs? LOL. But the story is far from over! Thanks for reading, and please review!


	4. Shattered Glass

Yay, update! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

When they got back to the precinct, Chief Vick immediately called Lassiter and Juliet into her office.

"I'm taking both of you off of this case," she said as she closed the door.

Immediately Lassiter and Juliet protested.

"You can't take us off this case, Chief!"

Vick shook her head. "The second victim bears an uncanny resemblance to you, Lassiter." She looked at Juliet. "And he's called you out, Detective O'Hara. He knows too much about you."

"Chief, we can handle this," Juliet insisted. She refused to let this case be taken away from her.

"We are your best detectives. If anyone's gonna stop this psycho, it'll be us!" Lassiter insisted. "You know this, Chief."

Vick sighed. He was right about that. They would solve this case faster than anyone else, and put the killer behind bars.

"Please, Chief," Juliet said softly.

Finally Vick waved a hand. "Fine. But if anything, and I mean anything, else happens, you're both off this case. Got it?"

The two detectives nodded in unison.

"Good. Get out of here."

Juliet and Lassiter left the office, and Vick dropped down into her seat behind her desk.

She only hoped that she wasn't making a massive mistake by keeping them on this case.

As Juliet approached her desk, she noticed Shawn sitting in her seat. "Shawn..."

He shot to his feet. "Hey, Jules."

Lassiter glared at the younger man. "Get lost, Spencer."

"No way, Lassifrass." He looked at Juliet. "I'm not leaving you alone."

"What are you talking about?"

"Until we catch this guy, I'm going to be your shadow." He tried to keep his words light, but the truth was he was terrified. And if he stayed by her side, there was no way anything could happen to her. He would be there to stop anything.

Bemused, Juliet sat down in her chair. "I don't need a bodyguard, Shawn."

"Aw, I'm better looking than Kevin Costner. And you're way more beautiful than Whitney Houston." He arched his brow playfully.

Juliet ran her hands through her hair. "Where's Gus?"

"At Psych." He didn't mention that he had given his best friend the spare key Juliet had given him and told Gus to get some things for Juliet. He also didn't tell her that he had no intention of letting her return home anytime soon.

"Great idea," Lassiter said sarcastically. "Why don't you join him?" He didn't like the annoying psychic hanging around his partner, and he sure as hell didn't trust him to keep her safe. If anyone was going to protect Juliet, it would be Lassiter. She was his responsibility, his partner, and his friend. He would keep her safe.

"No thanks, Lassie." He pulled up an extra chair and sat down beside Juliet. "I'm fine right here."

Frustrated, Juliet handed him a file. "Fine. Make yourself useful. See if you can get anything off of this."

"You got it." He leaned back in the chair and opened the file.

Lassiter glared at Shawn again, then turned his attention to his own file.

By the time midnight approached, Shawn had decided it was time to take Juliet to Psych. He got up. "Jules, it's late. Those files will be here in the morning."

Juliet waved him off. "I'm fine, Shawn. Go home, if you want. I'm going to stay here a while."

He shook his head. "Come on. You're exhausted and you need to eat something." His hand settled gently on her shoulder. "Let's go."

Something to eat and a little sleep certainly sounded appealing... "Shawn..."

"Jules, no arguing. Let's go." He urged her to her feet.

She glanced at Lassiter, who had his nose buried in a file. "Carlton, I'm going to get some sleep."

"Night, O'Hara."

Relieved, Shawn ushered her out of the precinct. His bike was parked outside, and he grabbed a helmet. Handing it to Juliet, he picked up his own helmet and put it on.

Juliet stared at the helmet in her hands. "Shawn..."

"Come on, Jules." He got onto the bike. "I promise, I'll go slow."

She must have been more exhausted than she thought, because she climbed onto the back of the bike with him after putting the helmet on.

He felt her hands settle on his sides, and with a groan, he grabbed them and pulled her arms around his waist. "Hang on." He started the bike.

Juliet let out a surprised yelp when they sped out of the parking lot. Instinctively she held onto him tightly.

He grinned when her grip tightened on him, and all too soon, they arrived in front of the Psych office.

Juliet was confused when he parked the bike in front of the familiar office. "Shawn? What are we doing here?"

He helped her off of his bike. "Crashing for the night."

"What?"

He pulled his helmet off. "I told you, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't give me that look." His expression softened. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

"I don't need anyone to look out for me!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

He groaned. "Jules, just come inside."

"No. I'm going home, to sleep in my own bed."

"Your place isn't safe!"

"And the Psych office is?"

"Yes! Me and Gus are here. You're not alone."

Shaking her head, she got back onto the bike. "Take me home, Shawn."

"Jules..."

"Now!"

With a frustrated sigh, he got back onto the bike. How was he going to convince her that she would be safer at the Psych office? He knew she was angry, but he was only trying to protect her.

The ride passed in silence, and when they got to Juliet's apartment complex, Juliet jumped off of the bike.

Shawn got off and followed her as she stormed toward the apartment building.

When they got to the front door, Juliet spun around and glared at him. "Why are you following me?"

He held up his hands. "I'm just making sure you get inside safe."

"Go home, Shawn."

He ignored her and followed her upstairs. When they reached her door, he noticed that her hands shook as she retrieved her keys. He sighed softly, deeply concerned.

Juliet ignored him and put her key in the door. But something felt wrong. Without turning the key, she reached out and grasped the doorknob. It turned easily, and she frowned. She always locked her front door.

Shawn saw her expression, and a frown marred his boyish features. "What is it, Jules?"

Her hand strayed to her gun. "Stay here, Shawn."

"No way..."

"Stay here!" She pulled her gun and pushed her door open.

Ignoring her angry threats, he followed her into her apartment.

As their eyes adjusted, Juliet gasped softly. Her living room was destroyed. Pictures had been ripped off of the walls, the couch was laying on it's side, and her books had been shredded. She couldn't contain a soft groan.

As she hurried forward, Shawn stared at the ruined pictures and books. Someone had broken in and attempted to destroy Juliet's entire life.

She forced herself to think like a cop as she hurried into her bedroom. After checking out the entire apartment, she put her gun away. "Whoever did this, he's long gone," she muttered, tears pricking at her eyes. Her bedroom had been destroyed as well. The mattresses had been flung across the room, glass was shattered, and every article of clothing in her closet had been shredded. Nothing was salvageable. Her life was in ruins.

Shawn approached her, his eyes full of concern and sympathy. "Jules..."

She waved him off. "I have to call this in."

He nodded, watching as she made the call. As she spoke, he glanced around the living room, trying to make any sense of this.

Juliet hung up the phone and watched Shawn. "What?"

"He was... looking for something," he said softly. "And when he didn't find it... he trashed your place."

"Tell me something I don't know," she said bitterly.

He turned and studied her intently. Her mouth was drawn, and her bright blue eyes were swimming with tears. Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her tightly against his chest.

She struggled against him for a moment before finally giving up and leaning into him.

He held her tight and rested her head against his. At least she hadn't been in the apartment when it happened. He could be thankful for that much. If she had...

Juliet buried her face in Shawn's shoulder and trembled. Everything she owned in the world was ruined. Her books, pictures... everything. She sniffled, clinging to Shawn as tightly as she could.

He kissed the side of her head. "Everything's going to be okay, Jules," he promised, rubbing her back. "It will."

Lost in the embrace, they lost track of time until the CSI's arrived. As they began to ask Juliet questions, she felt herself becoming exhausted and angry.

A few minutes after the CSI's arrived and began photographing the apartment, a booming voice could be heard down the hall.

"This is my partner's place, and I'm going in there!"

A few moments later, Lassiter burst into the apartment. "Juliet!"

Juliet was shocked when Lassiter pulled her into a tight hug. He never called her by her first name, and he never showed any kind of physical affection. She was completely stunned.

He finally pulled back, checking her over. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Carlton. I got home, and someone had trashed my place. They were long gone."

He checked her over again. Once he was certain she was okay, he took a small step back. "You're not staying here. You can use my guestroom."

"Carlton..."

"This isn't up for debate, O'Hara."

Annoyed, Shawn stepped up. "Sorry, Lassie. Jules already has a place to stay."

Lassiter glared dangerously at the younger man. "Stay out of this, Spencer."

"Not happening. She's coming with me. Gus and I will stay with her."

Lassiter advanced on the younger man, his eyes dark with anger and his hands balled into fists. "This is not one of your little games, Spencer," he growled, his big body taut. "Someone is after my partner, and I will not let anything happen to her."

Refusing to be intimidated, Shawn leaned toward Lassiter with an angry expression. "Neither will I. Jules is coming with me."

"Both of you, stop!" Juliet yelled, causing everyone in the room to fall silent.

Both Shawn and Lassiter stared at her.

"I'm not going with either of you." She grabbed her purse. "Stop fighting over me." She stormed out of the apartment, into the hall.

"Juliet," both Shawn and Lassiter called in unison.

She hesitated just beyond the door for a moment, then continued on.

As soon as she got outside, she realized that she had no car, and she could hear Shawn and Lassiter still arguing as they followed her. With a groan, she took off down the street, to a nearby cafe neither Shawn nor Lassiter knew about.

She got inside, then pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number of a friend.

"Hey, it's me. I really need your help..."

TBC...

A/N: Uh oh. Juliet's apartment is destroyed. Who is she calling? WHERE IS THE PINEAPPLE? Review!


	5. Fallen Hero

So me and my dad have been watching the first two seasons of Psych on Hulu, and I have to admit, I love Lassiter. LOL. Seeing him hold the Chief's baby, and even when he said 'baby' to the crazy judge in American Duos... *sigh* Don't get me wrong. Shules is the best, and Shawn is the hottest. But I'm developing a soft spot for that hardass detective...which may not be so good for him... *evil laughter*

Disclaimer: Uhm... not mine. But I do have a... THREE HOLE PUNCHER!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

"Thank you so much for this, Gus," Juliet said softly as Gus prepared the guest bedroom.

He smiled at her. "It's fine, Juliet. Lassiter and Shawn can get a little..." He searched for the right word.

"Crazy?" Juliet offered, clutching the pillow Gus had given her to her chest.

He laughed. "Good word." Finally he stepped back from the bed, nodding approvingly. "Okay. Get some sleep. The bathroom is across the hall, and if you need anything at all, just yell."

"I will, Gus. Thanks."

He patted her arm, then left her alone in the room.

As soon as she was alone, Juliet sighed and crawled into the bed. The realization that everything she owned was gone hadn't even completely sunk in yet. She buried her face in the pillow and wiggled between the sheets.

Gus stood outside of the door for a few minutes, concerned. He had been unable to get anything out of Juliet, but years of being best friends with Shawn had taught him a few things about observation and human nature.

He and Juliet weren't very close, and yet she had come to him for help. He reasoned that she had done that because Shawn and her partner weren't available to her. She would have gone to Shawn first, then Lassiter. Maybe something had happened. Maybe she was fighting with both of them. But if she was, what was it about? What was so huge that she felt she couldn't go to Shawn or Lassiter, forcing her to go to him?

He looked at the door again, tempted to go in and talk to her. But something stopped him. So he went into his living room and paced around, worried.

Twenty minutes later, the front door opened. Gus looked up from his seat on the couch.

Shawn came into the apartment, nodding at his best friend. "Hey. We have a problem."

Gus turned the TV off. "What?"

"Juliet's apartment was destroyed earlier. Lassie and I got into a fight, and she disappeared. She's not answering her phone, and we can't find her."

Immediately Gus dropped his eyes to the floor. He had never been able to lie to his best friend. Even when they were kids, Shawn could see right through him.

Shawn came closer, tipping his head slightly to the side. "Gus? Do you know where she is?"

"Of course I don't!" Gus rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, you do! Gus, why didn't you call me? Where is she?"

"I don't know, Shawn."

Shawn heard a noise in the back of the apartment, and his eyebrows arched. "She's here, isn't she?" He headed toward the hallway.

Gus shot to his feet and rushed in front of his best friend. "Shawn, don't."

Shawn stepped backward. "Gus, what is your problem? I need to make sure she's okay." He shoved a finger into Gus' chest. "I can't believe you lied to me."

"She trusts me, Shawn! She came here and asked if she could stay, so she could get away from..." He trailed off at the look on Shawn's face.

"Me." Shawn rubbed his hand over his face. "She came to get away from me."

Gus reached out and rested his hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Shawn, don't beat yourself up."

"She came here because she felt like she couldn't trust me. I made her not want to trust me." He began to pace unhappily.

"Shawn..."

Before Gus could continue, a shrill scream broke the tension. Both men spun toward the hall.

Shawn was faster, and he took off down the hall. Reaching the guestroom, he shoved the door open. "Juliet?"

She was sitting up in the bed, sheets tangled around her waist. Her hair fell in her face, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She screamed again.

The sound froze Shawn for a moment, but he managed to shake it off. He hurried to the bed and sat down beside her. "Juliet..."

She didn't seem to hear him. Her body shuddered as her fingers clutched at the sheets.

With a gentle touch, he reached out and drew her against his chest. "Shh, Jules..."

She resisted for a moment, then finally went limp against him.

He wrapped an arm firmly around her and kissed her head. How could he have ever done anything to make her not want to trust him? Anger directed toward himself bubbled up. No wonder she had gone to Gus after all of that. Everything she held dear was gone, and he and Lassiter were fighting over her as though she were a prize to be won. What the hell was wrong with him?

After a while, Juliet finally spoke. "Shawn..."

He nodded. "Right here, Jules."

She sniffled, shaking slightly. "What am I going to do...?"

His hand gently moved over her hair. "We'll get your place cleaned up, and replace your stuff. But you can't go back there until we catch this psycho, Jules. You won't be safe there."

As a cop, she knew he was right. Whoever did this could come back, and next time, she might not be so lucky.

"You could stay here, or you could go to a hotel..." He held her tighter. "Or you could come with me. I just don't want you to be alone, Juliet."

She almost smiled. He was truly worried about her. "Shawn..."

He shook his head. "Please, Jules. This guy... He's dangerous."

Sighing, she let him pull her closer to his chest. "Fine."

"I'll stay away from my apartment. I'll get a hotel room." That way, if an attempt was made, she wouldn't be near someone she cared about. They wouldn't be hurt in the crossfire.

Relieved, he nodded. "Thank you, Jules."

They lapsed into silence, but didn't break the embrace. It was the longest they had ever hugged like this, and both were reluctant to end it, because they didn't know when it would happen again.

Or even if it ever would.

Outside of the bedroom, Gus was leaned up against the wall and listening to the quiet conversation. He had been worried that seeing Shawn would upset Juliet, but she wasn't yelling at him to leave. So they must have made up. He knew that Shawn hated being at odds with Juliet, so he was relieved that they were talking.

Finally he pushed himself off of the wall and headed back into the living room.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Lassiter sighed as he unlocked his apartment door. He was worried about O'Hara, and that troubled him. His last partner, he had wound up in bed with. And he had been determined not to let history repeat itself. So when O'Hara had been brought to SBPD, Lassiter had kept her at arm's length.

He refused to let her get close, and he could tell that she didn't like it. But it didn't matter. She would be his partner, and nothing more.

But over the years, she had managed to chip away at his tough outer shell. And now, he considered her one of his closest friends. In a lot of ways, she was like another little sister to him. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe.

And with the arrival of this latest psycho, Lassiter felt his rage grow out of control. How dare someone threaten his partner, his best friend. The first chance he got, he would put a slug in this bastard's brain, without hesitation. And he would smile about it, too.

He kicked his shoes off and pulled off his jacket, then hung it up with care. His plan was to get a few hours of sleep before heading back to the precinct to try and make more progress on this case. O'Hara had called to tell him that she was staying in a hotel for the time being, and he felt a mix of relief and some unhappiness. He would have felt better if she was staying with him. At least that way, he would be completely confident that she was safe.

At least she hadn't gone to stay with Spencer. While he was more tolerant than he had been when they first met, there was no way in hell he trusted Spencer to protect his partner. He was too much of a goofball, too flaky. He wouldn't trust Spencer with a potato gun, let alone the life of his partner.

He went into the kitchen and poured a shot of whiskey. After downing it, he went to the living room and sat down heavily.

As he poured another shot, a shadow moved across the wall behind the couch.

Before he realized what was happening, a needle was plunged into his neck. Too startled to make a sound, the shotglass slipped from Lassiter's fingers. Another second later, and darkness enveloped his senses. He fell sideways onto the couch.

The man holding the syringe stood up with a grin. Putting the syringe away, he walked around the couch and knelt down in front of Lassiter's unconscious form.

"So predictable," he rumbled, amused. "Thought you'd be more of a challenge."

Lassiter didn't respond, and the man took a moment to lay a single sheet of paper on the coffee table. Then he went to work with a strangled giggle.

TBC...

A/N: Oh, no! Lassie! *hides under rock* REVIEW!


	6. Leaves You Breathless

And now to shake things up a bit...

Disclaimer: Not mine! All I have is... A THREE HOLE PUNCHER! BWAHAHAHHA!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

The next morning, Juliet arrived at the precinct early with a box of donuts and coffee. She had a change of clothing in her locker, so she had decided to come in early and change before diving back into the case.

When she arrived at her desk, she frowned. Lassiter wasn't at his desk, and there was no sign that he had been there since the previous night. That was strange. Whenever they had a particularly pressing case, Lassiter rarely went home. Instead he took showers at the precinct and took short naps in the cribs.

She set the donuts and coffee down, glancing around. No one was there yet. Maybe he had taken the files home with him. That wasn't unusual.

She ducked into the locker room and took a quick shower. By the time she was redressed and feeling more human, more officers had shown up in the squadroom. But there was still no sign of Lassiter.

Buzz McNabb approached Juliet as she stared at her partner's desk. "Juliet? Something wrong?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

She waved a hand. "Lassiter isn't here yet."

McNabb looked at his watch. That was strange. "We have another hour. Want me to run you by his apartment? He might have overslept."

She had to swallow a laugh. Carlton Lassiter, oversleeping? "Sure, Buzz. That would be great."

They walked out of the precinct and got into Buzz's patrol car. By the time they arrived at Lassiter's apartment building, a knot had formed in Juliet's stomach. Something was definitely wrong. She got out of the car, spotting Lassiter's car in the parking lot. So he was still at home. She jogged into the building, with McNabb hot on her heels.

Moving fast, she went upstairs and easily found Lassiter's apartment. She knocked on his door. "Carlton? Are you awake?"

McNabb came up behind her as she waited anxiously for a response.

But there was no sign of life from inside the apartment. No shuffling sounds of moving feet, no coffee percolating, and no running water.

"Carlton, answer me!"

She didn't like this at all. Locking eyes with McNabb, she nodded toward the door. He nodded, giving her the chance to move away before he kicked the door in.

Juliet rushed into the apartment, her gun drawn. "Carlton? Where are you?" she called.

There was no answer, and she quickly searched the entire apartment. As she exited his bedroom, McNabb called out to her.

"Juliet, I found something!"

She ran back into the living room. McNabb was staring at a piece of paper lying on the coffee table. She leaned over and read the letter, her gut sinking with every word.

_Hello again, Juliet. I'll bet you're wondering where your handsome partner is. Don't worry, he's safe. For now_.

Juliet couldn't contain a soft groan, and McNabb pulled out his phone to call Chief Vick.

_I won't bother telling you not to contact your chief. I won't insult your intelligence. But I will be contacting you again soon. Until next time..._

At the bottom of the page was a heart, the same as the one in the last note. She had to resist every urge she had to reach down and shred the paper with her bare hands.

McNabb closed the phone. "The Chief is sending CSI and backup." He reached out, hesitating before he touched Juliet's shoulder. "We'll find him, Juliet."

Juliet closed her eyes, fighting back an onslaught of tears.

_Where are you, Carlton?_

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Shawn arrived just a few minutes after the chief did. Ignoring any worries of impropriety, Shawn went straight to Juliet and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

Juliet hesitated for a moment, feeling the Chief's eyes bore into her. "He's gone, Shawn…"

Shawn nodded. "I know, Jules. But don't worry. We'll find him. He'll be okay."

Vick cleared her throat. "Mr. Spencer, I need you over here."

Reluctantly, Shawn released Juliet and went to the Chief.

Vick motioned with her arm. "Tell me anything you pick up." Her best detective was missing, and she was worried.

Placing his hands to his head, Shawn looked around the room. Lassiter's coat and holster were neatly hanging on the coat rack, and his shoes were lined up beside the door. "Lassie came home last night, alone." He spotted the abandoned shot glass and open whiskey bottle. "He had a drink, maybe in an attempt to relax." Though the thought of Lassiter actually relaxing was impossible for Shawn to imagine.

He walked around the couch and noticed deep indentations. "His attacker was crouched behind the couch, waiting for him to come home. When Lassie sat down, the assailant subdued him, left the note, and took Lassie with him."

Vick crossed her arms over her chest. "How did he get Carlton's limp body out of the building without anyone noticing?"

Juliet swallowed a soft groan. "It happened late last night… No one would have seen it. The son of a bitch planned this entire thing…" He had broken into Lassiter's apartment and waited for the right moment.

Now he had Lassiter, and Juliet O'Hara was seeing red.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

After tying Lassiter to the bed, he began to count down the minutes until he would complete the next part of his brilliant plan.

Juliet O'Hara had brought his entire world crashing down around him by taking his wife, the only woman he had ever loved. And now, he would do the same thing to her. Only with this, her pain would be far greater than his.

He would make sure of that.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Twelve hours passed, and there were still no leads as to where Lassiter was. His entire apartment building had been canvassed, but no one had seen or heard a thing.

Juliet groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She had been attempting to read the same paragraph in a file for the past hour, but her mind was elsewhere. She got to her feet and walked around to Lassiter's desk. Pulling his chair out, she sat down in it and rested her open hands against the top of his desk.

He kept an immaculate desk. All of his files were stacked in a tidy pile, his pens sat in a coffee cup, and there was a pack of unopened Sticky notes. But that was all there was. No pictures, nothing personal. He didn't believe in cluttering his desk with what he called 'useless junk'. And when they had first partnered up, he had glared at her as she set a cardboard box on her desk and unpacked several framed photos to line the edge of her desk.

Leaning over, she hesitated before opening his bottom drawer. Expecting more paperwork, she was shocked to see a single picture frame sitting face down. It was the only item in the drawer. Hesitantly, she picked it up and turned it over.

Stunned, Juliet stared at the picture. She recognized it as from the last company picnic, when a double play by herself and Lassiter had won the whole game. She had ran up to him and flung her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug, and someone with a camera had caught the entire moment in a single snapshot. Hot tears welled up in her eyes as she studied the photograph. They rarely touched on purpose, mostly because they were partners. Nothing more. But this single photo had caught something she hadn't noticed before. In Lassiter's expression, she saw confusion, but also deep affection and warmth. He would never come out and say it, but he did care about her.

As she held the picture, Shawn came into the precinct. "Anything, Jules?" he asked gently.

She quickly returned the picture to the drawer and closed it. "Nothing." She rested her elbows on Lassiter's desk and cradled her head in her hands. "Not a damn thing."

His eyes softened as he walked to her side. "We'll get him back, Jules." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly irrationally angry, Juliet brushed him off. "Don't touch me, Shawn! If you two hadn't been arguing over me, I would have been at the precinct, with Carlton! This wouldn't have happened!"

Stunned, Shawn took a step back. "Jules..."

She shook her head. "Just go, Shawn. I don't want to see you right now."

He hesitated, uncertain.

"Go!"

Finally he nodded, too stunned to speak. Turning around, he headed out of the squadroom.

She watched him go, her anger and her need to be near him tearing her heart in two. She knew it was irrational to blame him; there were too many variables in this. Even if she hadn't gone to Gus' home, if she had stayed at the squadroom, Carlton would have gone home eventually.

Once Shawn was gone, she got up and went into the cribs. It was the only empty room, so she sat down on a mattress and buried her face in her hands as she cried.

As Shawn went into the parking lot, he thought about going back into the squadroom. But Juliet was angry, and he knew better than to press any harder.

As he stopped and dug around for his keys, he felt a strange presence, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He spun around.

The other man smiled, thrusting a syringe into Shawn's neck before he could cry out.

Suddenly unable to breathe, Shawn crumpled to his knees.

Without hesitation, the assailant grabbed Shawn and roughly tossed his limp body into a dark van. Then he jumped into the driver's seat, the tires squealing as he peeled out of the parking lot.

TBC...

A/N: Review, please!


	7. When A Stranger Calls

The season finale of Bones has me in such a good mood, I thought I'd give everyone a surprise update! Though, by the end of the chapter, I don't think you guys will like this particular surprise...

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Juliet had finally managed to lose herself in reading a file when a worried voice called her name.

"Juliet!"

She looked up, surprised to see Gus come into the squadroom. "Gus?" She closed her file. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find Shawn!"

Vick came out of her office, and other officers drew closer.

"What do you mean, you can't find him?" Juliet stood up, her stomach twisting.

"He's not answering his phone, he's not at his place, and his bike is sitting out in the parking lot!" Gus looked close to panic.

Juliet grabbed her jacket. The last thing she had said to Shawn was to get lost, and now they didn't know where he was. "Gus, just calm down. We'll find him."

Vick looked at McNabb. "Buzz, go with them. Martinez and Cabot, take a look at Mr. Spencer's bike downstairs. Let's go."

Juliet followed Gus, the knot in her stomach growing with each step. Gus was silent, but she could see the wheels turning in his mind.

They reached Shawn's home in record time. Gus pulled out his key and opened the door, and McNabb followed Gus and Juliet inside.

The place was messy, just as it always was. Juliet looked around, her blue eyes scanning every inch of the room.

There was a coffee table in front of the couch, and Juliet went to it. Amidst the papers and magazines, she spotted a single folded paper with a red spot bleeding through. Pulling on a pair of gloves, Juliet carefully picked it up and unfolded it.

Gus came up behind her. "Juliet?"

Her sharp eyes scanned the paper, and her heart started to race.

_Tsk, tsk on Shawn for keeping such a messy home. I'd expected to find him here, but you can just imagine my delight at taking him right from under your nose_.

Gus read the letter over her shoulder, and he gasped softly.

_They're both amazing specimens, and both quite you. I can see why you're having such a hard time choosing one. The free spirit, or the devoted protector. Hard choice_.

Juliet swallowed hard, suddenly sick.

_But we can't have our cake and eat it too, now can we? So I'm going to give you a choice. Keep your phone on, Detective. We'll be talking very soon_.

At the bottom of the page was a bloody heart, and Juliet thrust the letter toward McNabb. "Get this to the lab," she demanded. Then she grabbed her phone and opened it.

No missed calls.

Gus rubbed the back of his neck and struggled to contain his surging emotions. His best friend was missing, possibly hurt or worse...

Juliet looked at McNabb. "I have to get back to the squadroom. Buzz. Stay here until the CSI's get here."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm going with you," Gus said firmly.

She nodded, motioning for him to follow her. "Let's go."

They left Shawn's place in silence, and by the time they returned to the precinct, the squadroom was buzzing with activity.

Vick spotted Juliet first, and she made her way to the junior detective. "Did you find anything other than the letter, Detective?"

Juliet shook her head. "Nothing."

Vick sighed. First Lassiter, now Spencer. This psycho was gunning for O'Hara, and he was torturing her by abducting those closest to her.

"Where is my son?"

Juliet and Vick turned toward the booming voice. Henry Spencer stalked into the squadroom, his mouth drawn in a tight line.

Vick looked at Juliet, then approached Henry. "Mr. Spencer..."

"Karen, don't do that. Just tell me where my son is!"

She hesitated. "We... We don't know, Henry."

"What do you mean, you don't know where he is? What's going on?"

Juliet came up beside Vick, her eyes filled with sadness and fear for Shawn and Carlton. "Henry, Shawn and my partner were abducted."

Vick turned on Juliet. "O'Hara..."

"He's Shawn's dad, Chief! He should know." She turned to face Henry again, who looked stunned. "We have reason to believe that the abductor took them... to get revenge against me."

Henry stared at her. "Why...?" was all he could manage.

"I don't know. But, Mr. Spencer, we're doing everything we possibly can to get them back. I promise you, we will bring them back."

Henry ran his hand over his head. "You can't promise that, Juliet. But... thank you."

She nodded, and she was caught offguard when he drew her into a tight embrace. Everything else seemed to fade away as she buried her face in Henry's shoulder and began to weep.

Shawn had to be okay.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Several hours later, Juliet was sitting at her desk, staring at her phone. No one had called her, and she was becoming anxious.

A few feet away, Henry Spencer was sitting at an empty desk, going over files that Vick had reluctantly provided him with. Miami PD had faxed over Juliet's old case files, and Henry was going through them in the hopes they would find someone with a motive to lash out at Juliet.

Juliet touched her phone with her index finger. A tech had put a tap on her phone, so that when the call came in, everything would be recorded and traced. With any luck. she would be able to keep the kidnapper on the line long enough to get his location. Then they would be able to go get Shawn and Lassiter and bring them back safe.

Her phone suddenly went off, causing Juliet to jump. She immediately grabbed her phone and checked the caller ID. The call was coming from Lassiter's cell.

"This is it!" She jumped to her feet, running into the chief's office with Henry and Gus hot on her heels. Setting the phone on Vick's desk, she turned on the speakerphone. "Hello?"

There was a long silence. "Good evening, Juliet. I told you we'd be speaking soon."

TBC...

A/N: In case ya'll hadn't noticed, this is a twist of sorts of the Yin/Yang eps. Well, one ep specifically. The season four finale. Coming up, there will also be a twist on a favorite CSI episode of mine. What that is, I won't tell ya'll. Now, please review, and I'll be back with an update soon!


	8. Disturbed

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Another angst-filled chapter, and a cliffie!. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

There was a long silence. "Good evening, Juliet. I told you we'd be speaking soon."

A chill ran down her spine. "You did. Where are Shawn and Carlton?"

Vick left the room, returning with a tech.

"Slow down, Juliet. All in good time."

"No. I want proof that they're alive."

"This isn't your game, Juliet."

"This isn't a game at all!" Juliet snarled. "Now, let me talk to them, or this is over."

There was a long silence, then the sound of shuffling feet followed by a muffled voice.

"O'Hara?"

Juliet's shoulders slumped in relief. "Carlton? Are you okay?"

Lassiter closed his eyes. "I'm fine." His voice was hoarse. "Listen to me, Juliet. Find Spencer. He has to be given priority-"

There was the sound of a hand striking flesh, followed by an angry curse.

Juliet panicked. "Carlton? What's going on? Talk to me!"

"That's enough, Detective," the kidnapper's voice growled. "He's alive, but he won't be for long if you don't listen to me."

Juliet scrubbed a hand over her face. "What do you want?"

"You took my wife from me, Juliet. Now I'm going to give you a choice. Carlton Lassiter, or Shawn Spencer. You can only save one of them." He chuckled, and the sound made Juliet flinch.

"What...?"

"One of them will die, and the other will live. You get to choose who."

Beside her, Gus was pale and wavered unsteadily on his feet. Vick looked sick.

"You'll only be able to save one of him. The death of the other will be entirely on you."

Juliet's stomach immediately sank. He was absolving himself of this by giving her a choice. Whoever died, their blood would be on her hands. She shook her head. No. No one was going to die. She wouldn't let either of them die.

"Juliet?"

She jerked her head up. "Carlton?" The sound of his voice steadied her, and she leaned closer to the phone.

A piece of paper was shoved in his face, and Lassiter glared at his captor. He had constantly refused to comply in any way, and it had cost him. His lower lip was split, his right eye was swollen, and he was certain at least one or two of his ribs were broken.

When he didn't immediately begin to read, his kidnapper slammed the butt of his gun into Lassiter's head. The sound of metal against skull made him shiver with delight.

Pain exploded in Lassiter's head, and he couldn't contain a miserable groan.

At the sound, Juliet panicked again. "Carlton? Carlton, are you okay?" She leaned even closer to the phone, her eyes wide and fearful. "Talk to me, Carlton!" she begged, feeling sick. "Carlton!"

There was a long silence. Finally Lassiter began to speak again.

"You put discarded things here, to part with you cannot bear."

"What?" Juliet was confused. "Carlton, what are you talking about?"

"O'Hara, remember your training. Civilians come first-"

There was another blow, another cry, and finally the kidnapper came back on the line.

"I'm afraid your partner cannot speak anymore right now. And since Mr. Spencer is also...unavailable, the answer to finding him is in this riddle."

"What riddle?" Juliet demanded desperately.

"The man who built it doesn't want it. The man who wants it doesn't use it. The man who's using it doesn't know he's using it." He smiled. "I've given you the answer to each of their locations. But you only have time to save one of them. So make your choice, Detective. And make it fast. They're counting on you."

There was a click, followed by silence.

Stunned, Juliet sank down into the nearest chair.

Gus ran his hand over his face. "The man who built it doesn't want it..."

Vick crossed her arms over her chest, glancing around. "The man who wants it doesn't use it." She repeated it to herself, her voice soft as she tried to think of an answer.

"It's a damn riddle!" Henry yelled, running both hands over his head. "The answer is a coffin! Shawn's in a coffin!"

Juliet and Gus looked horrified.

"There are half a dozen cemeteries around here," Vick said, running a hand through her hair. "It could take days to comb through them all."

"But there's one under construction near here! I go by it on my route!" Gus shifted anxiously. "They're making room for more plots."

"Okay, I want all available officers at the-"

"Willwood Cemetary," Gus supplied.

"Willwood Cemetery. Take dogs and get heat sensors out there. Let's go!"

Before they could leave the office, a tech ran in, holding a piece of paper.

Vick pounced on him. "Do you have a location?"

"Not an exact one. But Detective O'Hara kept him on the phone long enough to pin the location within a five mile radius." The tech laid a map down on Vick's desk. "There's a bunch of warehouses-"

"A place to put things you can't part with!" Juliet snapped her fingers. "Carlton has to be there!"

Vick studied the map. "McNabb and I will go check out the warehouses. O'Hara, you lead the team to find Spencer."

Juliet hesitated, but Shawn had to come first. Not only was he a civilian, but he was... She stopped that thought immediately. "Yes, Chief."

"I'm going with her," Henry spoke up, giving Vick a look that dared her to argue with him.

Vick held up her hands. There was no time to argue. Spencer knew the risks he was taking. "Fine."

Both Gus and Henry followed Juliet, along with half a dozen officers.

On the way to the cemetery, Juliet was silent. All of her thoughts were focused on finding Shawn. Was he hurt? Was he even still alive? Would they even be able to find him? Her grip tightened on the steering wheel, and her foot pressed down on the gas.

In the passenger's seat, Henry was staring out the window as scenes from Shawn's childhood played through his mind's eye. His little boy, his only child, was buried alive in a cemetery. Of all the training he had thought to give Shawn, that scenario hadn't been one of them. Why hadn't he thought of it? Maybe this whole thing could have been prevented.

An image of his smiling little boy formed in his mind, and his stomach flipped. _We're coming to get you, son. Just hang on_.

In the backseat, Gus shifted restlessly and tugged at his seatbelt. Of all of this friends, Gus was the only one who knew of Shawn's fear of the dark. His dad had ignored it, and as Shawn became older, he learned how to hide it. Henry just assumed that his son had grown out of the fear. Shawn hadn't.

Now he was buried alive, essentially his worst fear come true.

They finally reached the cemetery. All three jumped out of the car and began looking around. There were piles of disturbed ground, and Juliet's heart sank. It could take hours for them to search the disturbed ground...

Other officers had arrived just minutes before, and Juliet, Gus and Henry were quickly provided shovels. They split up and began digging, each saying a silent prayer that they would find Shawn alive.

After an hour of digging, the canine unit arrived. The officer in charge of the dog got out of the van, bringing the blood hound with him. "Come on, Barnaby." Vick had provided them with an article of Shawn's clothing, and Officer Hayes let Barnaby smell it. "Atta girl. Get the scent."

Juliet looked up from her task, wiping the sweat out of her eyes as she watched the dog take off. She looked at Henry.

"Barnaby's got a lead!" Hayes shouted, chasing after the hound.

Immediately Juliet, Henry and Gus followed Hayes.

The hound suddenly stopped at one disturbed spot and immediately began howling.

"Over here!" Juliet shouted, motioning with her free hand. "Everyone, get over here!"

She and Henry and Gus began digging immediately, while other officers joined in.

"Hang on, Shawn!" Juliet shouted over the chaos. "We're coming!"

The hound continued to howl as they dug at the upturned soil.

Finally Henry's shovel struck something, and he dropped to his knees. "I've got something!" He dug with his bare hands.

Immediately Gus and Juliet joined him, while the other officers continued to dig.

They quickly uncovered something hard, and Juliet gasped as they managed to expose a coffin. "Get the paramedics over here, now!"

With a grunt, Henry sought purchase on the lid of the coffin. Gus helped him, and together they managed to remove the lid.

"Shawn!"

TBC...

A/N: BWAHAHAHA! Almost a twelve hour work day ahead of me. Reviews are the best part of my day! :) Along with shamelessly plugging for reviews... *whistles nonchalantly* LOL. Thanks for reading!


	9. Unsteady Ground And Cloudy Skies

Happy Wednesday! I just got season five of Psych, and it is TOTALLY awesome! The Shulesness! *faints* Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsych

Across town, on a lonely stretch of road, Vick and McNabb led the rest of the officers to the area where they believed Lassiter was being held. Vick was tense, and the normally bubbly McNabb was silent.

They finally pulled up to a group of warehouses, and Vick frowned as she got out of the car.

The owner of the warehouses was waiting, and Vick approached him with a warrant. "We believe one of our officers is in one of these," she said, handing the paper to the owner.

The owner nodded. "Be my guest."

Vick turned to face her officers. "Okay, everybody, pick a door and get it open!"

All of the officers nodded. "Yes, Ma'am!"

McNabb followed Vick to the nearest door, a crowbar clutched in his hands, and they set to work.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

"Shawn!"

Juliet's eyes burned with tears as she took in Shawn's bloody and bruised form. His clothes were cut and stained, and his face was so pale that she was terrified they were too late.

Henry stared at the face of his only child, his son. Suddenly he couldn't breathe.

Moving fast, Juliet reached down and touched her fingers to his pulse. "He's alive, Henry! He's alive!" She moved her fingers to Shawn's bloody cheek. "Shawn...? Shawn, can you hear me?"

Immediately Gus joined her. "Shawn? We're here, buddy. You're going to be okay." His voice was gentle as he spoke to his best friend.

Juliet scooted closer to the coffin as she tried to get a look at his wounds. The son of a bitch had beaten the crap out of Shawn, and her stomach twisted as she saw the worst of his wounds. A knife wound to his stomach was bleeding heavily, and Juliet quickly yanked off her jacket. Folding it, she placed it over the wound and pressed down. Then she laid her free hand over Shawn's cheek.

Muttering softly to his son, Henry gently moved Juliet's hand and applied pressure to the wound in Shawn's stomach.

Gus could only hang back and watch helplessly as Henry and Juliet tended to Shawn.

With Henry taking care of the knife wound, Juliet's hands were free. She gently cradled Shawn's face in her hands, stroking his skin with her thumbs.

Gus looked over her shoulder. "How is he...?"

She turned her head to face him. "Alive." And that was saying a lot.

As she spoke to Gus, a hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. She gasped and jerked her head around, her eyes locking on Shawn's. "Shawn...?"

His normally bright and playful eyes were filled with pain and fear, and they broke Juliet's heart. She placed her free hand over his arm. "Shawn, we're here. Everything's going to be okay. We're going to get you out of here."

Henry looked up. "Son, it's going to be okay."

But Shawn didn't seem to hear Henry's or Gus' voices. He was focused on Juliet and his own painful breathing.

Juliet smiled sadly, running her hand over his arm. "Just hang on, Shawn. Everything is going to be okay." She turned her head. "Where the hell is that bus?"

"ETA is three minutes," an officer shouted in reply.

Another officer who was still moving dirt from around the coffin suddenly froze. "No..."

Juliet jerked her head up. "What is it?"

He met Juliet's eyes, and she could feel his panic. "There's a bomb under here!"

"Everyone, out of the hole!" Juliet screamed.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Vick and McNabb were opening the seventh door when an excited shout caught their attention. They both spun toward the shout.

"There's smoke coming from this one!"

Immediately every officer ran to the indicated door. The lock was quickly broken, and the door shoved open.

Flames exploded from inside, causing everyone to leap backward.

Vick shouted for someone to call the fire department. Then she inched closer to the warehouse. "Detective Lassiter! Can you hear me?"

Everyone fell silent as Vick called out again, "Detective Lassiter! If you can hear me, make some kind of noise!"

The flames were scorching, and Vick was afraid that they were too late. Then she heard it.

A muffled cry.

Before anyone could stop him, McNabb stepped back, pulling his jacket over his head. Then he launched himself into the flames.

"Buzz!"

Moving fast, McNabb fought his way into the warehouse. Moving along the wall, he shouted, "Detective! Are you in here?"

There was another muffled yell, and McNabb stumbled over a chair laying on it's side.

Tied to the chair was a dirt smudged and bloody Lassiter.

"Oh, gosh..." McNabb dropped to his knees, reaching for the swiss army knife he always carried. "It's going to be okay, Detective. We'll get you out of here." He quickly began cutting at the binds holding Lassiter's feet together.

Lassiter groaned, his eyes burning from the smoke.

McNabb freed Lassiter's feet. But when he reached the older man's hands, he panicked.

Barbed wire was wrapped tightly around the older detective's wrists, effectively binding him to the chair. There was no way McNabb could untangle the mess before they were both suffocated to death by the smoke.

There was only thing he knew to do.

Grabbing Lassiter's chair, he roughly pulled it upright. Then he proceeded to drag Lassiter out of the burning warehouse as fast as he possibly could.

To Be Continued...

A/N: I know I kind of broke this up in a weird place, but the original way was waaaaaaaaaay too long. LOL. And this way, there's much more angst! BWAHAHAHAHA! Please review, or I just might rewrite... the boys aren't out of the woods yet! *ducks flaming sporks*


	10. Crumble

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Enjoy the newest installment of Requiem!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsych

"Everyone, get out of the hole!"

The officers scrambled out of the whole, leaving only Juliet, Henry and Gus with Shawn. When Juliet realized that Henry and Gus weren't budging, she glared at them. "Get out of here!" To her, it was an acceptable risk, to stay in the hole with Shawn. But Henry and Gus were civilians, and she wouldn't risk anything happen to either of them.

"Don't even try that, Juliet!" Henry's eyes burned. "This is my son. I'm not leaving him!"

"Me, either!" Gus added.

"You two are civilians-"

"Don't give me that crap, Detective. I used to be a cop. I know the risks. This is my son!"

Juliet looked at Shawn, who was still clinging desperately to her hand and didn't seem to hear any of them. "Henry..."

"Please."

Finally she nodded, realizing that she would never be able to convince either of them to leave.

Finally a member of the bomb squad arrived and lowered himself into the hole, opposite Juliet, Henry and Gus. He nodded at them, then set about trying to get a good look at the bomb.

Juliet held Shawn's hand tighter, her free hand running through his hair. The action soothed both of them.

Henry continued to hold Juliet's jacket against the wound in his son's stomach. He didn't dare say anything, but Shawn was losing a lot of blood. And fast.

After finally identifying what he was dealing with, the other officer looked up at Juliet. "This is going to take a few minutes, but it looks pretty straight up." He kept his voice calm and level. "Get your man out of here. A bus is waiting for him."

Relieved, Juliet looked at Henry, then Gus. "Let's get him out of here."

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Vick stared at the flames, her heart racing violently against her ribcage. It had been several minutes since McNabb had disappeared into the flames, and there was no sign of him.

She was almost ready to go in there herself when McNabb suddenly emerged, dragging a chair with him.

"Oh, thank God..."

Vick launched herself forward and helped McNabb pull Lassiter a safe distance from the flames. They stopped once there was a good distance between them and the burning warehouse.

McNabb breathed heavily. "His hands..." he managed, motioning to Lassiter.

Vick looked at Lassiter's hands. They were bloody and bound behind him with... barbed wire? Her stomach did a sickening flip. "Someone, get me some wire cutters, now!" She knelt down in front of her senior detective. "Carlton? Can you hear me?"

His eyes flickered briefly, and Vick gently pulled the gag away from his mouth. Immediately he began to cough, sucking in lungfuls of fresh air.

"That's it... take it easy..." she encouraged, nodding.

Wire cutters were produced, and the barbed wire digging into Lassiter's flesh was cut, then pulled away.

Lassiter winced and continued to cough. But he was alive…

Vick patted her detective's arm, relieved. They had gotten him out in time, and she was positive that he would be fine.

But what about Spencer?

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Once they were given the word, Henry and Gus didn't hesitate. They got to their feet, then proceeded to lift Shawn out of the coffin.

The bomb squad member frowned when he heard a clicking sound. His face paled. "Put him back!" he shouted, catching Gus and Henry offguard.

"What?" Juliet screeched.

"Put him back! If we shift the weight any more, this bomb is going to blow!"

"We can't leave him in there!" Juliet shouted as Gus and Henry gently laid Shawn back down.

"We're not going to, Detective." Harris swung his head to the side. "I need a backhoe, and about two hundred pounds of dirt, now!"

Henry immediately understood where he was going with this, and he didn't like it. But it was going to get Shawn out.

Shawn whimpered softly, distressed, and Juliet rested her hand on his head. "Shh, Shawn," she whispered, her voice cracking. "We've got a plan. I need you to stay calm for a few more minutes..."

He didn't speak, but he clung to her hand, which she took as a sign that he understood.

Within a few minutes, a backhoe was driven within a few feet of the hole where Shawn's coffin was.

Harris produced a rope and attached it to Shawn's belt. "Okay, I need the three of you to get out, now!"

They hesitated before finally climbing out. Juliet was the last to go, and she kissed Shawn's forehead as she released his hand. "I'll be waiting for you," she whispered.

He whimpered again, and it broke her heart to leave him. As she climbed out, she heard Harris say to Shawn, "Okay, buddy, when I say so, take a deep breath and hold it."

Juliet joined Gus and Henry. They were holding onto the rope that Harris had attached to Shawn, and she grabbed it as well. Half a dozen other officers also grabbed the length of rope.

Harris got out of the hole and grabbed the rope, then shouted, "Go!"

As the dirt from the backhoe was poured onto Shawn, everyone holding the rope pulled.

Just as Shawn was pulled free of the dirt, there was a small explosion. He hit the ground, and Juliet lunged forward, covering his body with hers as a second explosion, much larger than the first, rocked the ground beneath them.

Juliet could feel heat and debris hit her back, and she made sure Shawn's head was covered as she waited for the assault to end.

Finally Harris made his way to the spot he had been standing at just a minute ago, and he cringed. No one would have survived that.

Finally Juliet lifted her head in time to see Gus and Henry rush toward them. She eased off of Shawn, then pulled his head into her lap. "Shawn?" She smoothed his hair back. "Shawn, can you hear me?"

Henry reached out and placed both hands firmly over Shawn's abdomen. "Come on, kid," he said quietly. "Open your eyes."

"Please, Shawn."

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Vick had the foresight to bring EMTs to the scene before Lassiter was found, and she watched as they hurried over to tend to her injured detective.

Lassiter winced as one EMT began searching for injures. "I'm fine. Get off of me," he growled.

Vick glared at Lassiter. "Carlton, shut up and let them get a look at you."

Lassiter was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "Is Spencer okay?"

Vick hesitated. "I'm not sure, Detective." The last she had heard, Juliet was leading the search in combing the cemetery to find Shawn.

Wrapping an arm around his middle, Lassiter struggled to his feet. "I should be helping find him."

"No, you shouldn't. You should be going to the hospital to get checked out."

Lassiter wavered on his feet, and Vick sighed, motioning to the EMTs. "Take him."

Under protest, the EMTs lead Lassiter to the waiting bus.

Vick watched as they loaded Lassiter into the back of the bus, then drove away, sirens blaring.

TBC...

A/N: I'm evil, huh? Mwhahaha. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	11. Author's Note

Hey, everybody! I know I've been updating this story every Wednesday since I began posting, but here in the past few days, my computer has crashed several times, and I'm trying to fix everything. I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again, but as soon as I can, you guys will know! Thanks for being so patient and understanding, and I'll be back as soon as I can!


	12. Flashing Lights

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! I just want to take a second to thank everyone for their patience. My computer is still wonky, but I'm finally able to resume posting chapters! YAY! This chapter is extra long, so enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

EMTs rushed over to tend to the fallen man. Juliet kept Shawn's head in her lap, still trying to rouse him. She was certain that nothing had hit his head, but he was unconscious. Maybe his injuries were even more severe than they had first suspected… Her stomach did an anxious flip.

The EMTs gently brushed Henry's hands away, then began applying pressure to the still-bleeding wound in Shawn's abdomen. "Let's get him out of here."

"I'm going," Henry, Juliet and Gus chorused simultaneously. The medics looked at each other.

"Is anyone here family?"

"I'm his dad," Henry answered.

Juliet hesitated. "I have his medical proxy." Shawn was not a man who put a lot of thought into the future, but after a small accident, Juliet had convinced him to name someone as his medical proxy. Someone who could make medical decisions for him, and do what was in his best interests.

She had been shocked when he had named her.

The medics exchanged glances. "Okay, the two of you can ride. But someone has to ride up front."

They eased Shawn onto a stretcher, and as they loaded him into the back of the bus, Henry looked at a devastated Gus. "It'll be okay, Gus." He squeezed the younger man's shoulder, trying to reassure him.

"Come on!" one of the paramedics shouted.

Juliet climbed into the back of the bus with Shawn, refusing to let go of his hand. She sat down close to his head and rested her free hand on his forehead.

Henry jogged to the front of the bus and got in.

The engine roared to life, and Gus watched helplessly as they pulled out of the cemetery.

As the ambulance raced toward the nearest hospital, Juliet watched the paramedics work. An oxygen mask was placed over Shawn's mouth and nose, and his shirt was cut away. Absently she remembered how much he liked that shirt, and she had to stop herself from telling the medic to leave it intact. The damn shirt didn't matter. Shawn's life mattered.

One medic looked up at Juliet. "Does he have any allergies?"

She shook her head. "No. None."

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-nine."

He was only twenty-nine. Just a year older than herself. She smoothed his hair back gently.

He finally stirred, groaning softly behind the oxygen mask.

Juliet watched him, her expression worried.

He began to thrash, groaning again.

One of the medics gave Juliet a pointed look. "Can you calm him down? It would be better if we didn't sedate him."

Juliet nodded immediately and leaned forward. "Shawn…?" Her fingers slid through his hair. "Shawn, can you hear me?"

He groaned again, his eyelids flickering.

"Come on, Shawn. Look at me."

Finally his eyes cracked open, and Juliet felt a stab of pain at the fear she saw there.

"Shawn, it's okay." She rested her head against his. "I'm right here." Her hand slipped into his. "Squeeze my hand for me."

He wheezed softly, his fingers slowly closing around hers.

She smiled softly, relieved.

"J-Jules…"

Her voice cracked as she nodded and whispered, "Yeah, Shawn. I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you. You're safe now."

His grip tightened on her hand. "Don'… go…"

Her heart shattered all over again. "I won't, Shawn. We're going to take you to the hospital to get you taken care of, and I'll stay right there with you. I won't leave." She had no intention of leaving his side anytime soon. At least not until she knew for certain that he would make a full recovery.

He finally started to relax, and the medic nodded in approval.

Juliet didn't notice the medic. Her entire focus was on Shawn, and keeping him as calm and relaxed as she possibly could. His breathing was still shallow and slow, but the oxygen was helping. Slowly she stroked his cheek with her thumb.

He managed to give her a pained grin. "Knew…"

Her brow furrowed. "What, Shawn?" She leaned in closer in an attempt to hear him better.

"Knew… you'd find me…"

Her eyes welled up with tears. "Of course, Shawn… I never would have stopped." She would have searched until she found him.

His eyes slipped shut.

"How's our boy doing back there, Jules?" Henry called from the front of the bus.

Juliet resumed stroking Shawn's hair, barely registering the use of her nickname by Shawn's father. "He's holding on," she assured him.

The medic continued surveying Shawn's injuries. "The sooner we get him to the hospital, the better."

Those words troubled Juliet, and she held Shawn's hand tighter.

"Just hold on, Shawn."

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Vick was already there with Lassiter.

They unloaded Shawn out of the bus, and Juliet nearly broke down in tears when the doctors and nurses separated them and took Shawn behind double doors that she wasn't granted access to.

Vick spotted Juliet, and she called out. "O'Hara!"

Juliet spun around, and her eyes widened. "Chief!" She broke into a run. "Did you find Lassiter? Is okay? Where is he?"

Vick took the younger woman by the shoulders. "Shh… Your partner is going to be fine. He's just behind those curtains over there-"

Juliet didn't want for Vick to finish that. She broke free of Vick's grip and launched herself in the direction Vick had indicated.

Lassiter was laying on the exam table, his eyes closed and his hands heavily bandaged. His shirt had been cut away, and his broken ribs had been taped up. There were bruises all over his body, as well as minor cuts, but he would live.

He would live.

The curtain opened, and he growled, assuming it was a nurse. "Can't you people give me some peace?"

Juliet watched her partner, waiting for his eyes to open. But they didn't, and she inched toward his bed.

He heard the footfall, and he sighed. "Just give me a break. I'm trying to sleep."

"Carlton…"

He opened a single eye. "O'Hara?"

She swallowed a soft groan and stopped by his head. "Oh, God…" She reached down and gently took his hand into hers.

He let her hold his hand. "It's not as bad as it looks."

She sniffled. "Carlton, I'm so sorry…"

"Why? You didn't do this."

"But…"

"No buts, Detective. You did exactly what I wanted."

Those words broke her, and before she could stop herself, she launched herself into her partner's arms.

Stunned, Lassiter gasped at the surge of pain in his ribs and hands. But he clumsily wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against hers. "Shh…"

Juliet held him tighter. "I thought you were both dead…"

"Hey… I'm not dead. It's going to take more than a loser with barbed wire to take me out, partner."

She sniffled, closing her eyes. It hadn't registered before, just how afraid she was of losing both of them. She loved both men, in separate ways. And the thought of losing either of them from her life forever scared the hell out of her. She couldn't lose either of them.

For the first time in too long, Lassiter allowed himself to enjoy the embrace. Then he tensed. "What about… Spencer?"

Juliet shuddered. "He's… it was bad, Carlton. We found him, but there was so much blood, and…" She buried her face in his neck.

He rested his hand against her head. "And what?"

"He was buried alive… there were bombs under the coffin… We barely got him out in time."

"But you got him out."

"Yeah…"

He pulled away just enough to meet her eyes. "Then you did your job, Juliet." Whether it was the fact that he had nearly lost his life, or the medication coursing through his system, he found the courage to run his thumb over her dirt-smudged cheek. "Spencer and I are both alive. You saved both of us."

"But…"

He shook his head. "No buts. I'm… I'm proud of you, Juliet. I really am."

She stared at her partner's exhausted face, and she felt badly. Recalling his earlier words when she had first walked in, she hugged him again. Then she slid off of the bed, pulling the curtain completely shut.

Lassiter watched her curiously, his eyelids growing heavier.

She made sure that the area was completely closed off before moving to the only chair she could find. Dragging it up to Lassiter's bed, she sat down in it. She knew that if there was any word on Shawn, Henry or Vick would find her and tell her. Right now, Lassiter had no one else to look out for him. And as his partner, the task fell to her.

He sighed. "What are you doing, O'Hara?"

She made herself comfortable in the chair. "You need some uninterrupted rest, Carlton. Close your eyes. I'll keep the nurses out of here."

The idea was tempting. It felt like months since had last slept, and it was becoming harder to keep his eyes open and focused on his partner.

Hesitating, Juliet reached out and placed her small hand on his arm.

"Promise you'll keep those damn nurses out…?"

She chuckled softly, her thumb stroking his skin. "I promise, Carlton. I'll keep them out."

He sighed, closing his eyes completely. "Thanks, partner…"

Her shoulders shuddered, and tears stung her eyes again. But she managed to hold them back as Lassiter finally gave in to his body's desperate need to sleep.

"You're welcome, partner."

"Juliet!"

Startled awake by the voice calling her name, Juliet jerked her head up. "What?"

Her body was stiff and sore from the hours spent sitting by Lassiter's bed. Her eyes briefly settled on his still-sleeping form, and she felt a strange surge of relief.

Henry shifted uncomfortably. "Juliet, Shawn's doctor is out here. He needs to talk to you."

She jumped to her feet, any traces of sleep suddenly gone. How long had she been with Lassiter? She quickly followed Henry out of the exam area, to a waiting room where Vick, McNabb, Gus and a dozen officers were waiting. A doctor in a white coat was by the door, and he looked her over.

"Miss O'Hara?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

The doctor glanced over his shoulder, then nodded toward the door. "Would you step out in the hall with me?"

Her stomach sank. He wanted to talk to her in private... that couldn't mean anything good.

Henry came up beside her. "I'm going with her."

"So am I," Gus added.

The doctor started to protest, but Juliet cut him off. "They're family. Whatever you say to me, you can say to them."

"Okay. Come with me."

Relieved, they followed the doctor into the hall.

Opening his file, the doctor said, "I'm Dr. Bailey, and I'm in charge of Mr. Spencer's care."

"How is he, Doc?" Henry asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It was rough for a while. We almost lost him a couple of times in there. But Shawn is a fighter."

Juliet almost smiled. He absolutely was.

Henry shifted uncomfortably. "When can I see my son?"

"In just a minute. He's in the ICU right now, and if he does well over the next few days, we'll transfer him into a private room." He eyed the trio. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to limit visitors to one at a time, fifteen minutes each."

There was a deep reluctance in her eyes as Juliet said, "Henry is his dad. He'll go first." She nodded to Gus. "And he'll be second."

Bailey nodded, glancing over his file. "If I might ask... what happened to my patient?"

Juliet hesitated. "He was... abducted and buried alive. We only recovered him last night."

He skimmed the file in his hand. "He was also stabbed several times. One of those came dangerously close to damaging his heart."

Henry groaned. All through his childhood, Shawn had suffered with heart problems. He had thought it was finally behind them. Apparently he was wrong.

Juliet gasped softly. "But... he'll be okay... won't he?"

"If we can keep him from contracting any infections, I think he'll be fine. He has a long road to recovery, but it's my professional opinion that he will recover."

Juliet's knees buckled, and she let out a relieved breath.

Bailey nodded at Henry. "Come with me, Mr. Spencer."

Juliet looked at Gus. "I'll be... with Lassiter."

"I'll come get you," he assured her.

"Thanks, Gus." She looked at Henry, then walked back down the hall.

By the time she got back to the exam area where she had left Carlton, he was nowhere to be found. Panic bubbled up in her throat at the sight of the newly made bed. "No..." She started to shake.

A nurse came up behind her. "Are you here for Mr. Lassiter?" she asked gently.

Juliet spun around. "Yes! Where is he?"

The nurse smiled kindly. "We moved him upstairs, to a private room. He should be able to go home tomorrow."

"What room is he in?"

As soon as the nurse gave her the room number, Juliet hurried upstairs. She easily found the room the nurse had indicated, and she hesitated before easing into the room.

Lassiter was resting comfortably in the bed, his eyes closed.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Juliet eased over to the bed. She wasn't sure her heart could take much more of these scares.

Sitting down in the chair by Lassiter's bed, Juliet made herself comfortable. At least Carlton seemed to be resting easily. She could take some comfort in that.

Now all she could do was wait for her turn to see Shawn.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hope everyone liked this chapter! Thanks so much for reading and being so patient!


	13. To Protect And Love

*comes out from under rock* New update! I've been plugging away at this, along with another story I'm trying not to post until I finish this one. Those darn plotbunnies are wicked! Enjoy, and please review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

Almost an hour later, Lassiter's door opened, and Gus poked his head into the room.

Juliet looked up when the door opened. She had been watching Lassiter sleep while awaiting her chance to see Shawn.

Gus smiled weakly at her. "It's your turn, Juliet." He and Henry had both taken longer than the limited fifteen minutes, but it had been hard watching his best friend lie lifelessly in that bed. He was alive, but he was so still... "Ready to see him?"

Juliet nodded, getting to her feet. "Yeah." She looked at Lassiter, who was still sleeping.

She was certainly ready to see Shawn. Reaching down, she squeezed Lassiter's arm. Then she joined Gus at the door.

When they reached Shawn's ICU room, Henry was pacing around the door. He looked up at Gus and Juliet's approach. "Hey..."

Juliet exchanged a meaningful glance with Henry before slipping into Shawn's room.

The first thing that registered in her mind was the sounds of the machinery surrounding Shawn's bed. For a moment, she couldn't move. She just stood there, taking in Shawn's pale appearance.

A thin blanket had been pulled up to his chin, and for a brief moment, Juliet was selfishly thankful that she couldn't see the worst of his injuries. But there were bruises and cuts on his faces, ones that she hadn't noticed before.

Finally she inched closer to the bed. The sounds of her sneakers squeaking against the linoleum startled her for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Shawn..."

Reaching the bed, she laid a light hand on Shawn's forehead. He didn't seem to be in any pain, and she was grateful for that. She did not want him in any kind of pain.

After a moment, Shawn stirred.

Startled, Juliet stared at Shawn's face. "Shawn..." She leaned closer to him.

He groaned softly, shifting his hips.

"Take it easy, Shawn..." Her thumb stroked his forehead. "Everything is okay."

His eyelids fluttered briefly, but before she could say anything else, he was gone again.

Slightly disappointed, Juliet sat down on the edge of the bed and took his hand into hers.

Before she knew it, twenty minutes had passed. A nurse slipped into the room, an apologetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but your time is up."

Juliet turned her head, her eyes pleading. "Please... Do you mind if I stay a little while longer?"

The nurse caught sight of the badge on Juliet's hip, and she smiled sadly. "You're the cop who found him, aren't you?"

"One of them, yes. I'm his medical proxy, and..." She hesitated. "His girlfriend. I really don't want him to be alone." The girlfriend part was a lie, but the truth was, Juliet just did not care. If it meant she could stay with Shawn, and that he would not be alone, she would tell the medical staff that she was his wife. She had to be with him.

The nurse sighed. Whenever it was possible, the hospital staff always tried to extend special leeway to the SBPD, for all the good they did. "Okay. Just try to keep out of the way."

"I will," Juliet promised. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Detective." The nurse checked Shawn's vitals, then left the room.

The door closed, and Juliet was alone with Shawn once more. She allowed herself to relax a little as she kept watch over her injured friend.

PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych

The next three days were some of the worst of Juliet's life as they waited for Shawn to regain consciousness. After the first twenty-four hours, Henry convinced her to leave long enough to shower, eat and take a nap. It was only when he threatened to have her visitation revoked that she finally complied. She supposed she understood. He really was looking out for her. So she went home long enough to shower, eat, and take a short nap. Then she was right back at the hospital.

After that, they fell into a routine of sorts that was punctuated by visits to Lassiter. He was supposed to be home already, but he had developed an infection in one of his hands that troubled his doctors. So his stay was extended.

On the fourth day, Juliet walked into Lassiter's room after breakfast. "Carlton?"

He was in the bed, eyes closed and mouth drawn. He had always hated hospitals, and this time was no different. He wanted to go home and recover in his own bed, in his own way.

She made her way to his side.

Finally he opened his eyes and looked at her.

She smiled softly. "Hey..."

Briefly he returned her smile. He managed to upset the nurses and annoy the doctors, but his partner always calmed him down. She had always had that affect on him. It was one of the reasons they worked so well together.

Before she could speak, the door opened. Gus stuck his head into the room. "Juliet?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Gus? What's wrong?"

"It's Shawn."

Her stomach dropped instantly, and she was on her feet. "What about Shawn? Is he okay?"

"They think he's waking up."

Juliet looked at Lassiter again. "I'll be back, Carlton," she promised.

He frowned and looked away.

Juliet followed Gus out of the room and to the ICU. Henry was already standing at the door, shifting impatiently. When he saw Juliet and Gus approach, he waved a hand.

"They had me leave the room."

Juliet hurried past Henry, into the room.

Gus and Henry exchanged glances.

There was a nurse beside Shawn's bed, and as Juliet came closer, she could hear her speaking to Shawn.

At Juliet's approach, the nurse looked up. "I'm sorry, but no one should be in here right now."

Juliet shook her head. "Is he waking up?"

"Ma'am-"

There was a deep groan from Shawn, and Juliet glared at the nurse as she hurried to Shawn's side. "Shawn..."

"Excuse me-"

"Be quiet!" Juliet snapped. Normally she was a very respectful, very kind person, but Shawn needed her and she had no patience for a nurse who was trying to force her to leave Shawn's side.

Shawn groaned again, shifting his hips.

Her expression softened. "Shawn, it's okay," she whispered. "Everything is okay. You're safe." She rested a gentle hand on his chest.

Suddenly he shot up in the bed, his chest heaving and his eyes wild with fear.

"Shawn?" She laid a hand on his shoulder.

He jerked, crying out in pain and fear.

Terrified that he might worsen his injuries, Juliet sat on the edge of the bed with him. Then she wrapped her arms around him, gently holding his arms to his sides. It might not have been the best idea, but she had to calm him down.

He struggled against her, but there was no strength behind the movements, and Juliet easily held him still.

"Shh... Shawn," she soothed, rubbing his back. "Breathe. You're okay. I promise, you're okay."

The nurse produced a syringe, but Juliet glared at her. "Don't sedate him."

"He needs to calm down before he hurts himself-"

"Just give me a minute! I'll calm him down."

The nurse sighed. "Five minutes." She left the room.

Once they were alone, Juliet rested her head against Shawn's. "Shawn, I need you to calm down," she murmured. "Please, calm down." She kept her voice soft and calm. "I don't want you to hurt yourself. Calm down."

He emitted a soft noise that tore at Juliet's heart. Finally he relaxed against her, but he continued to tremble.

Relieved, she gently rubbed his back. "It's okay, Shawn. Everything is going to be okay." Without thinking, she kissed his head. "I've got you."

The door opened again, and Juliet frowned when Shawn tensed against her. "Shh..." She turned her head and saw Henry ease into the room. "Hey..."

Henry took in the sight of his only child, cuddled in the arms of the woman Shawn himself had admitted he wanted. Instead of being amused, his heart broke. His boy was afraid and in pain, and Henry didn't know how to go about fixing this.

Shawn didn't seem to register his father's entrance. Instead he burrowed deeper into Juliet's embrace.

Juliet watched as Henry eased around the bed, until they were face to face. She summoned a weak smile, her hand coming up to cradle Shawn's head against her shoulder.

"How is he?" Henry whispered.

"He freaked out," she replied quietly. "But he's calming down. I wouldn't let the nurse sedate him."

"Are you sure that was a good idea?"

Juliet bristled. "I know him better than the nurses."

"I'm not arguing with that." Henry sighed and sat down by the bed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Juliet pressed her head against Shawn's. He had calmed immensely, and she wondered if he had fallen asleep. But then he shuddered, letting her know he was still awake.

Henry watched as Juliet held and comforted his son.

By the time the nurse returned, Shawn was completely silent as Juliet cradled him to her. She nodded approvingly.

Juliet didn't seem to pay attention. Her entire focus was on Shawn. One hand cradled his head, while the other rubbed his back slowly and affectionately.

The nurse looked at Henry. "Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to leave..."

Henry looked at Juliet, then his son. "I don't think so."

Juliet quickly intervened. "He's Shawn's father, nurse. He can stay."

The nurse sighed. "Okay. You both can stay. But no more right now. Mr. Spencer needs to rest."

"I'll make sure he does," Juliet assured her.

Henry watched the nurse leave the room, and he sighed.

Suddenly exhausted, Juliet eased back against the pillows, gently bringing Shawn with her. The bed was small and it was a tight squeeze, but she shifted them onto their sides. Then she pulled Shawn against her chest.

Shawn briefly panicked, but when she pulled him against herself again, he finally relaxed.

Henry watched Shawn's reaction with curiosity. For most of his life, Shawn had been a slacker, a playboy who never looked a day into the future. He was always about living in the moment. But in this particular moment, he was clinging to Juliet as though he could never let her go. Was it just a result of being buried alive and nearly killed? Or was that how he truly felt about her?

Juliet sighed quietly, resting her head against Shawn's. Her eyes were growing harder to keep open, and with Shawn safe in her arms, she was more relaxed than she had been in days. In her arms, nothing bad could happen to him. She wouldn't allow it.

Henry stood, hesitating before he placed a gentle hand on Juliet's head. "Get some rest, Jules."

She smiled at the fatherly gesture. "I'll try."

He grinned, and Juliet could see Shawn in his father's face. He moved his hand to Shawn's head, his expression growing more tender.

Sleep claimed her quickly, but not before she heard Henry Spencer whisper to his son.

"I love you, Shawn."

TBC...

A/N: Awww... Shules and Shawn and Henry! Okay, time to shamelessly plug. LOL. My newest Psych oneshot was posted the other day. It's called Never Really Wanted, and it has Shules and Shuliet angst from Lassiter's POV! Give it a shot! The other story in the works will be...well... there will be angst. Bwhahaha. Thanks for reading, and please review!


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